WELCOME TO GARY WOLFSTONE'S BLOG 27 ~ My client is a bulldozer operator whose Peterbilt truck was struck by the offending driver. The offending driver was totally at fault, and my client's Peterbilt truck required more than one month of repair. The insurance company who was responsible for the resulting damages sent a $2,500. check to my client to pay for a "one month" truck rental.

  Problematically however, my client suffered downtime while his Peterbilt truck was out of commission, and he asked for one month of loss of business income. The claim adjuster said, "No!" He insisted that the downtime was unnecessary. He maintained that my client could have continued his bulldozing business without any interruption if my client had simply rented a substitute truck. A one month truck rental with a substitue Peterbilt could not fairly compensate my client. Sometimes the task of "convincing a claims adjuster" to do the right thing is as daunting as climbing the Matterhorn!

  My solution was this ~ I made a video to demonstrate that we would prevail at trial in the event that a lawsuit is filed. This video demonstrates that my client's truck was unique and its performance could not be matched by any truck rental. Upon completion, my video was sent to our claims adjuster who was finally persuaded to settle the property loss claim for all of my client's downtime. In addition to the truck repair, the claims adjuster ultimately agreed to pay for ten fold more than his original offer.

  As a dedicated lawyer who zealously represents clients, I always look for a creative solution. My handling of this settlement not only boosted the settlement value of my client's claim but also avoided the time and expense of filing a lawsuit.

  Are you better served when you hire a lawyer? This case illustrates that a bright and creative lawyer will more than justify his handling of the client's case.